Generally, lift assists are used to assist movement of, and then support, one component relative to another component. In one example, lift assists are used to assist lifting and rotating of a vehicle structure, such as a liftgate, relative to other portions of the vehicle. One or more lift assists can assist in moving the liftgate to an open position, and then support the liftgate in the open position.
A lift assist can include a piston that extends relative to a cylinder to help move a first component to an open position relative to a second component. The lift assist is typically configured to then support the first component in the open position. That is, the load applied to the lift assist by the first component in the open position does not cause the piston to fully retract within the cylinder. When the load applied to the lift assist is increased, such as by a user or an actuator urging the first component back toward a closed position, the cylinder retracts within the piston permitting the first component to close.
Some components supported by a lift assist are, from time to time, desired to support additional loads when the components are in an open position. For example, a user may desire to hang items such as beach chairs from a liftgate that is in an open position. The additional load increases the load supported by the lift assist holding the liftgate. If the lift assist is not locked, the additional load could move the liftgate to a closed position.